He shuddered at the sound of his name, and I couldn’t take the pain and fear I saw in his eyes. I started toward him, but he threw up a hand between us, shaking his head almost violently.
“Don’t.” His voice was ragged, broken.
I ignored his words, moving forward slowly, watching for any hint that the uncontrolled hunger was returning.
His jaw locked and he squeezed his eyes shut. I wasn’t sure if he was hoping I would go away or if he was trying to keep himself in check.
I kept my steps slow even though I wanted to run to him. He didn’t move a muscle as I reached up and cupped his cheek in my palm. I ran my thumb over his skin as I poured my powers into him with renewed determination.
The rigid tension drained away and his eyes opened, locking on mine. The blue was back in his irises. They were so beautiful I wanted to cry.
“Laila,” he rasped.
I did cry then, the tears of relief falling down my cheeks in steady streams. Joriel reached out as if he planned to brush them away but stopped before his fingers could make contact with my skin. His hand dropped back to his side as he stared at me for a long moment.
Then he fell to his knees. His arms wrapped around my waist, and he buried his face against my stomach. He was clinging to me like I was the only thing keeping him from drowning in a sea of nightmares.
I slid my hands into his hair, running my fingers through the strands as best I could.
His arms somehow managed to tighten around me, his body trembling. I could feel his tears dampening the front of my dress.
“It’s okay,” I murmured as I continued to stroke his hair. “You’re okay. I’ve got you.” I knew there wasn’t anything I could really do to make his situation better, but I wasn’t going to let him go through Hell alone. “I’m not going anywhere,” I promised him. “You’re not alone.”
His body stilled, some of the tension returning. His fingers clenched in the fabric at my lower back.
“Jor?”
“What are you doing here?” His voice was hoarse with an undercurrent of fury.
I took a breath, refusing to react to the venom in his tone. I was done letting Joriel scare me away from him. He needed me, and I was going to stay by his side for as long as he continued to, whether he liked it or not.
I expected him to pull away from me when I didn’t answer him, but he kept holding on to me, almost as if he couldn’t bear to let go.
“Did I hurt you?” he rasped, every word laced with emotion and pain.
“No,” I assured him. There was a possibility he’d left marks on my neck when he’d grabbed me, and there were probably some new scrapes on my back from being slammed against the cave wall, but I decided they weren’t worth mentioning.
“But I could have.” There was no denying the truth in his words. For a second, I’d been sure he was going to.
“But you didn’t,” I said, focusing on the most important part. He’d stopped himself. He’d gotten control before he could hurt me.
I dropped to my knees in front of him so we were face-to-face. “Look at me.”
He hesitated before slowly bringing his gaze to mine. “I’m sorry,” he whispered so softly I almost missed it.
“It’s okay.” I wished I knew how to show him that he was worth every scrape and bruise, that I’d do it all again.
He let out a shaky breath. “You should go.” Every word sounded forced, like he was fighting with everything he had to get them out.
“No,” I said, my eyes searching the cave floor for what I needed.
“Laila.” My heart spasmed at the sound of my name said with so much pain and tenderness. “Please.”
“I’m not leaving,” I told him, barely managing to keep the growl out of my own voice.
“You have to.”
My hand closed around a small sharp rock on the tunnel floor. “I’m not going anywhere.” If Joriel thought he could out-stubborn me, he was sorely mistaken. There was nothing he could do or say that would get me to leave this cell. His words could cut, slice into me with all the venom he could muster, but I knew the truth. He wanted me here desperately. And because of that, I’d win our battle of wills.
